Oral history information pack - State Library of Web view2 x Rode NTG-1 lightweight condenser shotgun microphones. ... Rather than a word for word transcription, ... Oral history information

75th Anniversary of the NSW Library Act 1939 Oral history projectInformation for libraries

Prepared by

Louise DarmodySound MemoriesTel (02) 9925 0492Mob 0408630803Email [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

275th Anniversary of the NSW Library Act 1939 Oral History Project: Information for Libraries

ContentsAbout the 75th anniversary of the Library Act oral history project 3

Training day outline and agenda 4

Signposts for oral history: Framework and guidelines 6

Form 1: Pre-interview form 7

Form 2: Rights agreement form 10

Signposts for oral history: Recording equipment 16

Recommended equipment list 16

Digital sound recording: Theory and basics 21

Signposts for oral history: Interview techniques 24

Sample questions 24

Signposts for oral history: Sharing stories 26

Form 3: Data summary worksheet A3 template (insert)

Form 4: Data summary worksheet A3 example (insert)

Transcription and summaries 26

Form 5: Summary log template 27

Form 6: Summary log example 28

How to donate your oral history to the State Library 32

Interview checklist 33

75th anniversary of the NSW Library Act 1939Oral history project outline

Project outline NSW public libraries carry out oral history interviews with former library managers, staff or members to capture their memories of the growth and development of NSW libraries over the last 75 years.

Background The NSW Library Act was passed on 3 November 1939. This landmark legislation led to the provision of free public library services for the people of NSW.

Seventy five years later, public libraries are going strong, with 369 libraries across the state, 3.2 million members (that’s 44% of the population), 46 million loans per annum and over 35 million people visiting libraries each year.

The 75th anniversary of the Library Act is an opportunity to celebrate and promote the strong position of NSW public libraries and look towards the future.

The big pictureThe oral history project relates to all three objectives of the 75th anniversary of the NSW Library Act project:

to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the NSW Library Act 1939 and the development of free public libraries in NSW

to celebrate and promote NSW public libraries to provide opportunities for NSW public libraries to engage with each other and the State Library.

Project objectives to record the growth and development of NSW public libraries through the memories of former

library managers and staff to generate new content in the form of oral history recordings to provide professional development opportunities to NSW public library staff.

Project outputs oral history interviews with former public library managers or staff are recorded by NSW public

libraries by 30 November 2014 oral history interviews are shared on the 75th anniversary of the Library Act blog

http://libraryact75th.tumblr.com/ oral histories are donated by NSW public libraries to the State Library to create a 75th

anniversary of the Library Act 1939 oral history collection by early 2015 one day training session held at the State Library on 16 September 2014 to provide guidance on

oral history methodology and best practice

ScopeTo mark the 75th anniversary of the NSW Library Act, oral history interviews should be carried out with former library managers or staff (or in some cases members) who can share memories of NSW public libraries over the last 75 years.

For more information contact Edwina Duffy at [email protected] or 9273 1526.



http://libraryact75th.tumblr.com/

Oral history training day outline16 September 2014, State Library of NSW

The day will be useful for people who are new to oral history as well as those with some experience, as we will discuss how to plan and record interviews in the context of this project and how you can donate your oral history to the State Library.

The day will cover guidelines and best practice for recording oral history interviews, such as preparing for interviews, interview techniques, what equipment to use, what to do with your interview once you have recorded it and how to share your interviews.

The day will be led by Louise Darmody, who has worked in education and radio, and runs her own oral history and documentary-making business called Sound Memories.

Aims of the day:

To excite, inspire and motivate you to capture some great stories for the 75th anniversary of the Library Act 1939 Oral History Project

To provide tools and resources to get you started and support your work To provide a framework and guidelines for best practice

Pre-course task:

Bring an object or piece of ephemera from your library and be prepared to talk about it for a few minutes

If your library has any recording equipment please bring it along, as there will be opportunities to practise using the equipment during the day

Oral history training day agenda16 September 2014, State Library of NSW


9.30am Registration, tea and coffee

10.00am

Session 1: Framework and guidelines

Welcome and introduction to the 75th anniversary of the Library Act 1939 oral history project

Interview checklist: preparing for the interviewo Guidelines and forms o Ethical practiceo Research and preparation

11.15am

Break

11.30am

Session 2: Recording equipment

The importance of good recordings Discussion of good practice: examples of a good and

bad recording Technical information and requirements Practical session: sharing knowledge of equipment What to do with your interview once you have recorded

it: how to transfer and edit your recording, signposts to programs and resources

12.30pm

Lunch break

1.30pm Session 3: Interview technique

What makes a good question? Sample questions Practical session: carrying out interviews in small

groups, using the object or ephemera you have brought along

2.30pm Break

2.45pm Session 4: Sharing stories

The big picture: how do we share our stories?

3.45pm Wrap up Summary of day, feed back What happens next, sign posts to help and support

4.00pm Finish


Signposts for Oral History: Framework and guidelinesThe following links are provided as signposts to where you can find further information.

Where do I start?

Oral History Handbook, Fifth Edition, Adelaide, Oral History Association of Australia - Robertson, Beth. (South Australian Branch), 2010, pp. 4-10

Designing an Oral History project: Initial questions to ask yourself http://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/2012/06/designing-an-oral-history-project/

Research and preparation

See Form 1: Pre-interview form

Oral History Handbook, Fifth Edition, Adelaide, Oral History Association of Australia - Robertson, Beth. (South Australian Branch), 2010, pp. 8 - 10

Oral history project planning and managementhttp://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/2012/06/project-planning-and-management/

Ethics and copyright

Oral History Handbook, Fifth Edition, Adelaide, Oral History Association of Australia - Robertson, Beth. (South Australian Branch) pp. 13 – 20 and 96-7

Oral History Australia: Guidelines of Ethical Practicehttp://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/guidelines-of-ethical-practice.html

Arts Law Centre of Australia: Legal resourceshttp://www.artslaw.com.au/legal/raw-law/video/#standardThe above video is an excellent short video with practical examples of copyright

Introduction to Copyright and Rights Agreement forms (or Conditions of Use Forms)http://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/files//media/doing_oh_-_copyright_-conditions_of_use_forms_.pdf

Guidelines on fees for interviewing and transcription http://www.oralhistoryaustralia.org.au/files/Determining_Fees_August_2009.pdf

See Form 2: State Library of NSW Oral History Rights Agreement 2014


http://www.oralhistoryaustralia.org.au/files/Determining_Fees_August_2009.pdf

http://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/files//media/doing_oh_-_copyright_-conditions_of_use_forms_.pdf

http://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/files//media/doing_oh_-_copyright_-conditions_of_use_forms_.pdf

http://www.artslaw.com.au/legal/raw-law/video/#standard

http://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/guidelines-of-ethical-practice.html

http://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/2012/06/project-planning-and-management/

http://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/2012/06/designing-an-oral-history-project/

Form 1: Pre-interview FormFULL NAME: (with maiden name if applicable)

DATE OF BIRTH:

PLACE OF BIRTH:

FATHER’S NAME: (date and place of birth)

MOTHER’S NAME: (date and place of birth)

SIBLING’S NAMES AND YEARS OF BIRTH:

FATHER’S OCCUPATION/S:

MOTHER’S OCCUPATION/S – BEFORE MARRIAGE AND AFTER MARRIAGE:

WHERE GREW UP (TO SCHOOL AGE):


SCHOOLS ATTENDED: YEARS:PRIMARY

SECONDARY YEARS:

TERTIARY EDUCATION/TRAINING YEARS:

NAME/S OF SPOUSE/SPOUSES WITH DATES:

CHILDREN’S NAMES AND YEARS OF BIRTH:

CAREER – Summary with years, including any war experience, overseas or home front. Also – where relevant – date of immigration arrival in Australia



Oral History Collection

RIGHTS AGREEMENT

INTERVIEWEE/SPEAKER

1. Your name and contact details (please print)

Title: ________

Given name: ______________________________________________

Family name: ______________________________________________

Honours: ______________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________

______________________________________________

Phone (h): _______________________________

Phone (w): _______________________________

Mobile: _____________________

Email: _____________________

2. Which of your contact details may we give to enquirers?

□ None: I would prefer the Library to contact me on the enquirer’s behalf

□ Address

□ Phone (h)

□ Phone (w)

□ Mobile

□ Email

3. Your biographical details (optional)

Date of birth _____________________________________________


Previous or current professions/occupations _____________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Brief biography (or attach separately)________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

4. Name of additional contact to assist Library in maintaining correspondence with the interviewee (optional)

Title:____________

Given name ___________________________________________________________________

Family name:___________________________________________________________________

Date of birth:_________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Phone (h) :_____________________________

Phone (w) :_____________________________

Mobile: _____________________________

Email : _____________________________


MATERIAL COVERED BY THIS RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Questions 5-9 allow you to control access to and use of your interview during your lifetime. Material includes audio recordings made from this interview, any transcript or summary text created as a result of the interview, other related material provided by the interviewee and any photographs taken during the interview session.

5. Do you permit unrestricted access to and use of the material? Includes allowing:- People to research the material and make notes about it - People to have copies of the material for personal use- The Library to make the material accessible online through its website - People to have copies of the material for public use

□ Yes > go to question 10□ No > continue through all questions 6-10

RESEARCH AND PERSONAL USE

6. Do you permit people to research the material and make notes about it while on the Library’s premises or on loan in other libraries?

(a) □ Yes (b) □ Yes, but only if the Library has received my permission on each request(c) □ Yes, but only after the following date or event (e.g. ‘after my death’)

7. Do you permit people to have copies of the material for personal use?

(a) □ Yes (b) □ Yes, but only if the Library has received my permission on each request(c) □ Yes, but only after the following date or event

8. Do you permit the Library to provide access to the material on its website, so that people can listen to it, make notes about it or download a copy for personal use only?

(a) □ Yes If answering yes here (which allows people to listen to, make notes about and obtain a copy of your interview for personal use) ensure you have ticked Yes for Questions 6(a) & 7(a) (b) □ No(c) □ Only after the following date or event

State date/event: _______________________________________________

PUBLIC USE

9. Do you permit people to use the material publicly?


(e.g. publications, films, transmissions, broadcasts and other public ways, including uses in online media)

(a) □ Yes

(b) □ Yes, but only if the Library has received my permission on each request

(c) □ Yes, but only after the following date or event (e.g. ‘after my death’)

State date/event:

10. Agreement

I understand and agree that

The Library owns copyright in this recording and any associated transcript or summary The Library (State Library of NSW) licenses other public libraries to use this recording in all of the

ways specified in Clauses 5 to 10 of this form The Library will only provide access to this recording in accordance with the provisions I have

specified in this document or any subsequent changes made by me during my lifetime The information I have provided in this interview is truthful to the best of my recollection.

_________________________________ ______________________

(Interviewee’s signature) (Date)

Interviewee name: _________________________________________

Interviewer name: _________________________________________

Place of interview: _________________________________________

Date of interview: _________________________________________

12. What to do with this form

Please give the completed form to your interviewer or return it by post to Edwina Duffy, Project Officer, Public Library Services, State Library of New South Wales, Macquarie St, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia. For inquiries please contact us on 02 92731526.


Guide to Completing the Rights Agreement Form: Questions 5-9

Question 5. Do you permit unrestricted access to and use of the material?

IF YOU ANSWER YES you allow:- People to research the material and make notes about it - People to have copies of the material for personal use- The Library to make the material accessible online through its website- People to have copies of the material for public use

IF YOU ANSWER NO: You must complete Questions 6-9 and sign at Question 10.

Question 6. Do you permit people to research the material and makes notes about it while on the Library’s premises or on loan in other libraries?

IF YOU ANSWER

(a) □ Yes This means people can listen to a copy of the interview or read a transcript of the interview in the Library or in another library, they can also make notes from your interview for personal use

(b) □ Yes, but only if the Library has received mypermission on each requestThis means the Library will contact you to seek your permission each time a request is made to listen to a copy of the interview or read a transcript in the Library or in another Library, allowing them to make notes from your interview for personal use

(c) □ Yes, but only after the following date or event (e.g. ‘after my death’)This means your interview will not be accessible until the date or event you specify (following an internal review period)

Question 7. Do you permit people to have copies of the material for personal use?

IF YOU ANSWER

(a) □ Yes This means people can receive a copy of your interview for personal use

(b) □ Yes, but only if the Library has received my permission on each requestThis means the Library will contact you to seek your permission each time a request is made for a copy of your interview for personal use

(c) □ Yes, but only after the following date or event (e.g. ‘after my death’)This means copies of your interview will not be provided until the date or event you specify (following an internal review period)

Question 8. Do you permit the Library to provide access to the material on its website so that people can listen to it, make notes about it or download a copy for personal use only?


NOTE: At present the Library does not give access to oral history recordings through its website. However this facility will be developed in the near future. The Library will develop an End User Licence Agreement so that people will be able to listen to your interview through the Library’s website only after they have agreed to the legal requirements of that agreement.

IF YOU ANSWER

(a) □ Yes If answering yes here (which allows people to listen to, make notes about and obtain a copy of your interview for personal use) ensure you have ticked Yes for Questions 6(a) & 7(a)

(b) □ NoThis means the Library will NOT make your interview available to listen to through its website

(c) □ Only after the following date or event (e.g. ‘after my death’) The date or event must not be later than date/event stated in Question 9cThis means the Library will NOT make your interview available to listen to through its website until the date or event you specify

Question 9. Do you permit people to use the material publicly?

NOTE: People wishing to use the material publicly must seek permission from the Library and state how they intend to use the material.

IF YOU ANSWER

(a) □ YesThis means people can use your interview in a public way (e.g. in publications, films, transmissions, broadcasts and other public ways, including uses in online media)

(b) □ Yes, but only if the Library has received my permission on each requestThis means the Library will contact you to seek your permission each time a request is made to use your interview in a public way (e.g. in publications, films, transmissions, broadcasts and other public ways, including uses in online media)

(c) □ Yes, but only after the following date or event (e.g. ‘after my death’)This means your interview will not be made available for public use until the date or event you specify


Signposts for Oral History: Recording equipmentWhen discussing the physical recording of stories there are a myriad of choices to be made about ways to record the story and how to edit the story. Sally Hone, Curator of Research and Discovery at the State Library of NSW, has kindly compiled a list of recommended equipment.

Digital sound recording equipment - background

Sound recording equipment has changed dramatically with digital technologies – and high quality digital recording has now overtaken analogue recording. Furthermore, the cost of storing large sized digital sound files is now affordable. The State Library of NSW now recommends that all future oral history recordings made for the collection be made digitally.

Oral historians need digital sound recorders to be able to make high quality digital recordings in line with current sound archival practice. It is also important to have good quality external microphones to go with that equipment, and a set of good headphones to enable ‘critical’ listening of recordings.

The ‘high-end’ Sound Devices 722 digital sound recorder is the model used by the National Library of Australia chosen for its robust build, excellent sound quality and built in hard drive which is more reliable than using removable compact flash cards. High quality external microphones are essential for good recordings, and the Rode microphones are a good choice being Australian made copies of Sennheisser at a greatly lower price. The lower priced Zoom recorders are also excellent recorders.

Digital field sound recorders

Zoom H4n

Stereo digital field recorder, that uses compact SD or high-capacity SDHC memory cards of up to 32GB, and is capable of over 15 hours of recording time at 24-bit/96kHz resolution. Note: you need to buy a stand for this.

Cost: approx $330 Suppliers: Sound Devices audio shop, Parramatta, or Turramurra Music, also available online

TASCAM DR100 MKII


The DR-100mkII from Tascam is portable stereo digital audio recorder designed with high-end recording features aimed at musicians and engineers. Four built-in microphones, two cardioid and two omnidirectional, deliver great sound via the high-gain and low-noise microphone preamps. A pair of XLR inputs can accommodate external microphones and provide switchable phantom power for use with condenser microphones.

The 24-bit/96kHz linear PCM recorder features dedicated stereo mini balanced line in and out connectors in addition to an S/PDIF digital input. Also available is the ability to connect balanced line inputs via the locking XLR connectors. An upgrade to the DR-100, an already versatile unit, the rugged DR-100mkII extends the functionality of a professional portable recorder while improving the overall sound.

Cost: approx $300+

Roland R-26 6-Channel Digital Field Audio Recorder

The R-26 6-Channel Digital Field Audio Recorder from Roland provides a wealth of flexibility in a compact design, ideal for a variety of professional applications in music, filmmaking, journalism, and more. The R-26 can simultaneously capture up to 6 tracks of audio as 3 stereo pairs. The recorder offers 2 types of built-in stereo mics; one omnidirectional and one directional. There are also 2 XLR/TRS combo inputs with 48V phantom power for external mics, and a 3.5mm mic input for small stereo mics with plug-in power. The built-in mics can be used in a variety of combinations alongside external mics for amazing recording versatility.

The R-26 captures high-quality WAV/BWF files at rates up to 24-bit/96kHz. It can also capture MP3 files at rates up to 320kbps. Files are written to widely-available SD/SDHC flash memory cards for convenience and stability. A high-speed USB port allows you to transfer your recordings to a Mac or PC for convenient editing and sharing. SONAR LE software is included for manipulating your audio on a Windows PC.

The R-26 has a large touchscreen LCD display for quick and intuitive navigation of menus, customizing mic settings, editing waveforms, and more. There are also large input level control knobs for making fine adjustments. The recorder can operate on 4 standard AA batteries, or via the included AC adapter. An SD card, USB cable, and windscreen are also included so you can start using the recorder right out of the box.

Cost: $500+


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=ProductDetail&A=showItemLargeImage&Q=&sku=832911&is=REG&cm_sp=ZoomImgs-_-DTLpg-_-MoreImgs

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=ProductDetail&A=showItemLargeImage&Q=&sku=832911&is=REG&cm_sp=ZoomImgs-_-DTLpg-_-MoreImgs

Sound Devices 722 Portable high resolution audio recorder

The two-channel 722, a powerful file-based digital audio recorder designed for high resolution recording. It is compact and records and plays back audio to internal hard drive (making it highly reliable), Compact Flash cards (optional), or external FireWire drives. It records and plays uncompressed PCM audio at 16 or 24 bits with sample rates between 32 kHz and 192 kHz.

Cost: $3,080 Supplier: Only supplier in Sydney: John Barry

Microphones

2 x Rode NTG-1 lightweight condenser shotgun microphones. These are Australian made copies of Sennheisser at a quarter of the price. The NTG-1 is $349 from Sound Devices or Turramurra Music. Note: you have to buy cables to go with these – about $25 each; and microphone stands - $20 to $30 each.

Cost: $660 (2 x $330)Supplier: Several Sydney suppliers, John Barry price $330

Sennheiser make a range of microphones – up to $2,000. Recently the price has come down a bit. In 2014 they have a new release – MKE 600 ‘professional shotgun microphone for video journalists’ – they are around $400 (or less) and have very good sound.


Microphone and recorder stands

Microphone XLR cables

Digital audio editing software

Free software like Audacity could be good enough http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Even better software such as Wavelab Elements

WaveLab 7 for professional audio mastering, restoration and editing $129.00 (approx)

Earphones

Get good quality earphones in the range of $150 to $250. For example, Sennheiser HD-25-SP II Closed Dynamic Headphones designed for monitoring, recording and outdoor applications.

Cost: $231 (Approx price, available from John Barry)


http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Carry cases

Heavy duty carry case for Sound Devices field recorder (eg Pelican brand) and other protective cases cost approximately $100 - to $300. Shops such as Dragon Image http://www.dragonimage.com.au/ have a good range of bags.

For further information about equipment see also:

Oral History Handbook, Fifth Edition, Adelaide, Oral History Association of Australia - Robertson, Beth. (South Australian Branch) pp 29-62

http://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/some-suggestions-for-digital-equipment-suitable-for-use-by-oral-historians..html




http://www.dragonimage.com.au/

Analogue and Digital

The National Library provides an excellent explanation of why analogue recordings are problematic and how to best to preserve these precious stories:

http://www.naa.gov.au/records-management/agency/preserve/physical-preservation/magnetic-media.aspx

A committee member of Oral History NSW, Andrew Host has kindly volunteered this explanation of digital recording for our training day:

Digital sound recording: Theory and basics

Digitising works by taking sample of audio and recording in a moment in time the volume of the sound.

The volume is recorded as a binary number – one or zero.

A combination of sampling frequency and sampling resolution determines the quality of the recording.

Sampling Frequency is how often a sample is taken. All audio CDs are sampled 44,100 times per second. The standard for most digital video formats and for oral history recordings is 48,000 times per second, also known as 48 Kilohertz (khz)

Sampling Resolution is how many different levels of volume can be recorded between silence and maximum recording volume.

All audio CDs have a sampling resolution of 16 bit. This allows 65,535 different volume levels to be recorded.

The standard for oral history recordings is 24 bit. This allows 16,777,215 different levels to be recorded making a much more faithful rendering of the interviewee’s voice.

Pros and cons of file formats

File type Pros Cons

.WAVSampled at 48 kHZ, 24 bit recommended for oral history projects and required by the State Library of NSW and National Library for contributions

Faithfully retains the original recording quality when editing and re-saving

Playable on most computers made in the last fifteen years

Relatively large amount of storage required, approximately one gigabyte per hour of .WAV sampled at

48 KHZ, 24 bit

MP3 Recommended as a backup and distribution format, but not recommended for long term archiving.

Uses much less storage space than a .WAV file, up to one-tenth the amount with little quality loss

Playable on most computers, portable players, some DVD players and some car stereos

Quality degrades EVERY time you edit and re-save

Sound CardsThe amount of data that can be stored per second varies from card to card and is defined by a




Class number, written on the card within an almost complete circle. Class 1 is the slowest with Class 10 being the fastest.

Class 4 is considered the minimum required for sustained audio recording. If no class is indicated on the card, then it is probably unsuitable for audio recording. Use only quality brands such as Verbatim and Sandisk

YouTube www.youtube.com is a great resource to work out how to use your digital recorder and using Audacity.

Storage and preservation

Storing Audio Storing all your precious audio in one place is a guarantee that you will one day lose it. The only way to ensure it lasts is make multiple copies, preferably on different media, preferably stored in different locations.

CDs and DVDs CDs store binary data with a series of pits and bumps that represent the zeroes and ones of binary numbers. The pits are microscopic and are laid out in a spiral track starting at the inside of the disc. On a recordable disc, the pits and bumps are replaced with a layer of organic dye which changes from clear to opaque to simulate pits and bumps. The distance between spirals on a CD is 1.6 thousandths of a millimetre, on a DVD 0.74 thousandths of a millimetre. The data is read by a laser. There is extra data on a disc which allows a disc to be read even when it has scratches and fingerprints on the surface - to a point. It is much better to prevent discs being scratched and fingerprinted.

CDs and DVDs vary markedly in quality. It is best to buy a reputable brand such as Sony, Verbatim, Maxell, or Taiyo Yuden. Most recordable discs use silver as a reflector, but for long term stability, archive-grade gold discs should be used.

Excellent quality archive-grade gold discs are available from ProDisc – www. prodisc.com.au

Optimum burning speed for most CDs in most cases is 16x to 24x, for DVDs 4x to 8x.

For long term storage, CDs and DVDs should be formatted as data discs containing the 48 kHz, 24 bit WAV files. The resulting disc will not play on stand-alone CD and DVD players, but will play only on computers. As an additional copy you can also create an audio CD which will play back on computers as well as stand-alone CD and DVD players, but the audio CD have audio at 44.1 kHz 16 bit, lower than the recommended settings.

CDs can store a maximum of 700 megabytes, which equates to about 43 minutes of audio stored as a 48 kHz 24 bit WAV file.

A CD formatted as an audio CD will hold up to 80 minutes of audio, because an audio CD can only be in the lower quality format of 44.1 kHz 16 bit. A DVD can store 4. gigabytes of data, and so can store about 4. hours of audio stored as a 48 kHz 24 bit WAV file.

Dual-layer DVDs, which can hold 8. gigabytes of data are not recommended because they are considerably less reliable than single layer 4. gigabyte DVDs.


http://www.prodisc.com.au/

http://www.youtube.com/

Storage longevity is determined by the quality of the initial recording onto the disc, the quality of the disc itself, whether the reflector is gold or silver, and how the disc is stored. Dark, dry, stable temperature and humidity are important.

Data storage comparison

Pros Cons

CDs

and

DVDs

Compatibility Low price

Discs are fragile Poor manufacturing short life span Many new computers without CD or

DVD drive

Hard disc drives

Convenient Getting cheaper Easy to copy on to another drive

Poor manufacturing short life span Failure may occur with no warning

Flash memory

USB/SD

cards

Robust for handling, widely compatible

Cheap

Small form make labeling difficult and easy to lose

Short life span 5 - 10 years

Cloud Storage

Reputable Cloud Storage providers use multiple servers and hard drives to protect against drive failure which helps keep data safe

Data storage is available on any internet connected computer, tablet or smart phone

Most Cloud storage providers have ongoing fees

Data loss and hacking can occur In Australia upload speeds slow

compared to download speeds – takes time

Redundant formats Storage formats become redundant quickly (e.g. floppy disks, Zip disks, data tapes).

To ensure longevity of stored audio and data, it should regularly be copied to whatever is the current format.

For this reason, archived audio should be stored as uncompressed WAV files, preferably sampled at 48 kHz with a resolution of 24 bit.

Compressed formats such as MP3 and AAC lose quality every time they are converted to another compressed format.


Signposts for Oral History: Interview techniquePrepare: research, pre-interview and compile questions

Questions:

The most important words in your kit for conducting an Oral History are: Who, What, When, Where, Why?

Ask open ended questions. Avoid questions where interviewer can say yes or no. If you don’t understand something ask the interviewee to explain…If you don’t

understand there’s a high chance people listening won’t understand. Don’t ask double barrelled questions. Don’t ask loaded or leading questions. Make sure you listen to the interviewee and follow and prompt the story Listen quietly with nods, frowns and smiles.

Oral history interviews with NSW Public Library staff

Sample questions and discussion guide

IntroductionThis is (interviewer’s name) interviewing (interviewee’s name) at (location) on (date) for the 75 th anniversary of the NSW Library Act oral history project.

What was your first job in a library? What library? What kind of work did this job involve?Options could include

Library assistantLibrary monitorLibrary officer/technicianLibrarian-------------ShelvingCirculation workOrdering booksFilingReference

Tell me about your library training and education?Options could include

The Library School at the Public Library of NSW (1939 – 1950s)Attend lectures leading to the registration examinations (Library Association of Australia) – held in all state capitals and some regional centres (1950s – 1970, last registration examination 1980)TAFE - for a period in the 1970s TAFE offered a professional qualificationTAFE – technician qualificationUniversity of NSW; University of Technology Sydney; Charles Sturt University; similar

What were the major influences on your work at the time?Prompt

Council politicsPersonality of the chief librarianLocal needs


Tell me about your career. Any highlights, other things that stand out?Prompt

New library buildingsLibrary movesFloods, fires, similarMobile librariesSpecific communities, e.g. migrant communities

Any impressions/memories/stories of the people you worked with?

Were you are a member of any groups/committees/professional associations?Prompt

Library Association of Australia/Australian Library and Information AssociationCountry Public Libraries AssociationMetropolitan ChiefsAssociation of Local Government LibrariansAustralian Libraries Promotion CouncilPublic Libraries Consultative CommitteeLocal history groupLocal action/progress groupTrade union

What did this group do and how were you involved?

Looking back, what are the significant changes in libraries over the time-frame of your working life?

Any other comments?

For more information about interviewing technique see:

Oral History Handbook, Fifth Edition, Adelaide, Oral History Association of Australia - Robertson, Beth. (South Australian Branch) p.p 63 - 72


Signposts for Oral History: Sharing storiesHow to share your stories: Transcriptions, summaries, logging, data file

Data summary To donate your oral history to the State Library, you will need to provide some data about the recording. Sally Hone, Curator of Research and Discovery at the State Library of NSW, has provided a data summary worksheet template that must be completed.

See Form 3: Data summary worksheet template and Form 4: Data summary worksheet example

Transcription and summariesOral history transcriptions can be costly and time consuming.

For transcriptions, charges range from $1 to $4 per minute with online companies. For example, an online company called Rev charges about $1 a minute https://www.rev.com/?gclid=CKb07YXoxMACFYeXvQodzqkAOg

Personal transcribers offer an excellent service, but a skilled professional transcriber will take about three hours to transcribe one hour of audio. They can charge about $35 per hour. Alternatively, volunteers can help transcribe audio. You can download or purchase transcription or voice recognition software. With transcription software you can control the audio playback using a foot pedal or keys on your keyboard as you type. An example of transcription software is Express Scribe http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/

Voice recognition is an alternative to typing on a keyboard. Put simply, you play the audio and words appear on the screen. An example of voice recognition software is Dragon Naturally Speaking http://australia.nuance.com/dragon/index.htm

Rather than a word for word transcription, you can write an interview summary. This is a short summary of key topics, and might include timings and key words or phrases. This is useful for researchers or people who are looking for specific topics within an interview.

The State Library of NSW does not require a transcription or summary of an oral history recording.

For an example of an interview summary log see Form 5: Summary log templateForm 6: Summary log example


http://australia.nuance.com/dragon/index.htm

http://www.nch.com.au/scribe/

https://www.rev.com/?gclid=CKb07YXoxMACFYeXvQodzqkAOg

https://www.rev.com/?gclid=CKb07YXoxMACFYeXvQodzqkAOg

Form 5: Summary log template

Name of project: Eg 75th Anniversary of the NSW Library Act 1939

Collection number:

INTERVIEW SUMMARY

NAME OF INTERVIEWEE:

NAME OF INTERVIEWER:

DATE OF INTERVIEW:

PLACE OFINTERVIEW:

TOTAL time of interview:

Time SUMMARY OF CONTENT Key words

Use this format: 00:00:00Eg 01:44:22 is one hour, 44 minutes and 22 seconds

Summarise content, not verbatim, always use third person

Eg names, places, themes

Form 6: Summary log example

ISLAM IN NSW27


INTERVIEW SUMMARY

NAME OF INTERVIEWEE: Dia Mohammed

NAME OF INTERVIEWER: Louise Darmody

DATE OF INTERVIEW: 14/8/2013

TOTAL time of interview: 45m 45s

MLOH 725 NO.

Time Content summary Key words00:00:37 Born in Sydney, Australia on 22/11/81.

Parents migrated from Egypt in early 70s. Father lived in Brazil for 5 years. He came first and brought out his mother. Grandfather was a journalist.

Egypt

00:02:20 Parents from Cairo.00:03:11 Earliest memory of Islamic faith was at school-

East Hills PS where he realized he was different which was not a problem for him.

Primary school

00:01:12 His home was a bit stricter than others. He spoke to his parents in Arabic. Observed Ramadan.

Arabic language,Ramadan

00:05:38 Moslem children’s parties were completely different to Christian school friends’ parties- much bigger, lots of food, held at night, whole families took part

Childrens’ parties - differences

00:07:10 Played cricket and soccer at school School sport00:08:10 Not discriminated against except for one

sarcastic teacherNo discrimination

00:09:22 Religion always important within the family. Parents prayed, no alcohol, visited mosque, mother started wearing hajib in her late 40s

relgion

00:10:23 In grade 6 developed a passion for basketball. basketball00:12:00 In High school some teachers were inspiring.

Lot more ethnicities. When brother attended 3 years earlier only 4 ethnics, when Dia got there they were in the hundreds.

Growth of ethnicities

00:13:15 Brother faced problems of racism which Dia didn’t

racism

00:13:55 Oldest brother b. 1975, youngest brother b. 1985- no problems in school.

brothers

00:15:40 Didn’t do well at school because played basketball. Did Commerce at uni but left

School, uni

00:15:50 First job at 14 at Dominos pizza, then Hifi shop and followed parents to Telstra for 3 years. No discrimination

Jobs – no discrimination.

00:17:00 Always followed the tenets of Islam Islam00:18:00 Travelled to US to watch basketball then Egypt

which was wonderful. Saw family. Tried to get back once a year but didn’t connect

Egypt Islam


consciously to the faith until 200200:20:20 9/11 didn’t affect him personally but thinks it

was a lesson to be pro-active rather than reactive.

9/11

00:21:15 Impressions of media in confronting times. Muslims blame the media for everything, he thinks the media has a job to do and it’s a cop out to blame it.

Media and Moslems

00:22:04 Went to haj in 2003. Thought he was getting old (at 22) Married at 24 to a practicing Moslem. Son Omar born 2006. Brought up in the faith. Split up

HajMoslem

00:28:25 Arab Spring hasn’t had a personal impact. Relatives in Egypt ore OK

Arab Spring

00:28:55 Went from Telstra to Mazda to Hyundi and in 2011 established organization called Marpeak because realized there was a need to market Islam and be pro- active in teaching about Islam

Marketing Islam

00:30:00 Billboard stating “Jesus – a prophet of Islam” at Roseville caused a furore particularly among Catholics.

Billboard

00:32:05 Billboard controversy led to public forums and debates between Christians and Moslems

Christians-Muslim debates

00:33:22 Difference between Sunni and Shi’ite – not too bad in Australia.

Sunni cf Shi’ite

00:35:10 Sharia Law Sharia Law00:36:40 Women have many rights in Islam Women’s rights00:37:48 Men are obliged to pray in a mosque, women

aren’t which explains why the men’s section is so much bigger.

mosque


00:39:30 Pakistan’s forbidding girls access to school is not Islamic but cultural

Pakistan

00:39:44 Islam promotes education more than any faith in the world for men and women

education

00:41:40 Problems with established communities and incoming immigrants

immigrants

00:42:25 Australia’s changing for the worst. Too fast00:43:50 Islamic schools have tripled in last 16 years Islamic schools00:45:00 Little difference between mainstream

community and Muslim community except there is an element of fear among Australians

Difference between two communities

00:45:12 Outlook is good for Moslem community in Australia

Moslem community

00:45:30 Advises that one should speak to the right people re Islam

00:45:40 End of Recording


Outlets for sharingLibraries, school, town newspapers, television, radio stations – (community and public) community groups (target particular interest groups like Oral History NSW, Historical Societies)

Tools for deliveryWebsites, social media, newspapers, pamphlets, posters, meetings, walking tours

Websites featuring Oral Historieshttp://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/examples-of-websites-featuring-oral-histories.html

Oral History Handbook, Fifth Edition, Adelaide, Oral History Association of Australia - Robertson, Beth. (South Australian Branch) pp 85-90

University of California at L.A. for an excellent family history sample outline and questions http://oralhistory.library.ucla.edu/familyHistory.html

1,001 Life Story Questions by Bob Mitchell: http://www.memoryman.com.au/public-courses.htm

Australian Federation of Family History Organisations Inc. http://www.affho.org/

Talking History – Oral History Guidelines – NSW Department of Environment www.environment.nsw.gov.au/conservation/TalkingHistoryOralHistoryGuidelines.htm


http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/conservation/TalkingHistoryOralHistoryGuidelines.htm

http://www.affho.org/

http://www.memoryman.com.au/public-courses.htm

http://oralhistory.library.ucla.edu/familyHistory.html

http://www.oralhistorynsw.org.au/examples-of-websites-featuring-oral-histories.html

What happens next?How to donate your oral history to the State Library of NSW

Follow the guidelines for best practice in this information pack. Research and prepare for the interview. Use good quality recording equipment. Record your interview in .WAV format and at 48kHZ, 24 bit. Make sure you know how to use your equipment – test, test, test! Complete the rights agreement form. The State Library and your library have full rights

to the oral history. Complete the data summary worksheet. Make sure that you store your recording in more than one place. You do not have to complete a transcription or summary of the interview, but you can if

you want to. Copy your recording as .WAV file onto a USB stick or portable hard drive and send,

along with the rights agreement form and data summary worksheet, to:

Edwina Duffy Project Officer, Public Library ServicesState Library of NSW Macquarie StSydney NSW 2000

We would love it if you can complete your oral history interview and send it to the State Library by 31 November 2014.

Your oral history will become part of a commemorative 75th anniversary of the Library Act 1939 oral history collection at the State Library.

We will share your oral history on our 75th anniversary of the Library Act blog www.libraryact75th.tumblr.com


http://www.libraryact75th.tumblr.com/

Interview checklistBefore the interview:

Check and obtain copies of previous interviews with, and other information about, the interviewee

Contact and speak to interviewee about their participation Send a letter of introduction to the interviewee (Robertson, pp.9-10) Do a background research on the interview topic, and think about questions to ask Agree and confirm date, time and place of the interview, making sure the location is

suitable Ensure your familiarity with the recording equipment, and test the equipment

Take to the interview:

The recording equipment Batteries and/or extension lead Empty Compact Flash, SD or SDHC digital cards List of topics Pen and paper Camera (if appropriate) Permission to use/conditions of use document (Robertson, pp.14-20) A cake or bun to share!

At the interview:

Before starting the interview:

Check the recording equipment, including recording levels Record introduction/recording identification (interviewee’s name, your name, date,

location, purpose of interview)

At the end of the interview:

Check spelling of proper names Ensure interviewee knows what happens next Ensure permission to use form has been signed by the interviewee Spend time with interviewee

Immediately after the interview:

Download digital recordings, label and store safely Write Interview Summary and/or log as soon as possible (Robertson, pp.74-78) Thank you letter to interviewee and, if appropriate, copies of recording etc.

Oral History Handbook, Fifth Edition, Adelaide, Oral History Association of Australia - Robertson, Beth. (South Australian Branch)


Help!If you need any further help, please contact

Edwina DuffyProject Officer, Public Library Services State Library of [email protected](02) 9273 1526



Documents

Oral history information pack - State Library of Web view2 x Rode NTG-1 lightweight condenser shotgun microphones. ... Rather than a word for word transcription, ... Oral history information